GQ Playlist: KSHMR, the DJ headlining Sunburn this year

The guy intends on making your rave a more dramatic, immersive experience

First act: One half of The Cataracs, a hip hop record production project he formed with David “Campa” Benjamin Singer-Vine in high school.

The moniker: Was born when Dhar began “wondering about [his] legacy in music.” He says: “After we [The Cataracs] separated, I started having an inward-conversation about I’d leave behind, what makes me different. I figured I wouldn’t be comfortable with playing at clubs alone. So I began to consider my heritage seriously in trying to conceptualise my future.”

Breakout moment: Collaborating with House wizard Tiesto on the song “Secrets” featuring Vassy in 2015. “That was a pivotal moment. Tiesto’s an inspiration – he’s very careful in picking one artist and helping them.”

Best known for: His 2016 EP The Lion Across the Field, complete with interludes with female vocals in a distinctly desi accent and Hindustani classical music inspirations. “It also tells the story of a boy who hears of a lion from his father and goes on a journey in search of it,” says Dhar. “There’s no single tempo. I also felt that a story helps to give context. Every song has so much more gravity when it’s part of a narrative.”

The live set: A multimedia experience, featuring animation films. It begins with a short where a man watches his village burn down and turns to his elders for answers. “I think watching Indian cinema played a big part in this concept,” Dhar says.

On Bollywood: “I couldn’t stand it when I was younger,” says Dhar. “My Dad used to watch them and I never got the appeal until later in life. Sure they can be cheesy, but the good ones blend storytelling and music in a way that leaves you in awe.”

Reared on: His father’s collection of records featuring everything from The Beatles to Ravi Shankar. “Apart from that, I’m a self-taught musician. I learned everything I know online.”

Memorable gig: 2015 Sunburn, when he invited his grandfather onto stage and played a remix of the hit Bollywood song “Kajra Re”. “The crowd went wild, and it showed my grandfather – who had always been sceptical of a career in music – the potential of EDM.”